The present application relates to a harness for mounting a device, such as the pressure or stress-applying apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,238, on the tail of an animal.
Previously and presently used harnesses, belts or other means for mounting a device on an animal""s tail have been subject to one or more of the following disadvantages:
1. They have not been strong or flexible enough to retain the device in place on the animal""s tail when the animal moves its tail, rolls on the ground, rubs its rear end on fences or the like, is mounted or otherwise moves;
2. They have been complicated in construction and expensive to manufacture;
3. They have not been durable;
4. They have rubbed on the animal""s adjacent body portions during movement of the animal to cause tail damage, skin damage or inflammation of such body portions;
5. They have caused excessive pressure on the animal""s adjacent body portions during sleep or movement of the animal.
The new and improved animal harness of the present invention is not subject to the above-listed disadvantages and possesses certain advantages that are not present in previously or presently used harnesses, belts or other mounting means.
The animal harness apparatus of the present invention comprises two major componentsxe2x80x94the girth harness and the tail harness. The girth harness includes an adjustable belt that surrounds the forward part of the animal""s body just behind the front legs thereof and in front of the animal""s enlarged mid or stomach portion. A belt portion extends rearwardly from the adjustable belt along the upper or spinal portion of the animal and is constructed to be connected to the tail harness.
The tail harness comprises a first flexible and resilient cord in the nature of a bungee or the like which terminates at its forward end in a buckle or other connecting device constructed to be removably connected to the adjacent rear end of the belt portion of the girth harness. The rear end of the first cord is connected to the loop of a second flexible and resilient cord in the nature of a bungee or the like which extends rearwardly around both sides of the animal""s tail and beneath the tail where its two portions are joined by a staple, clamp or other suitable connecting means. The two portions of the second cord extend rearwardly and laterally outwardly from the connecting means where their ends are adjustably connected to a device positioned on the outside of the tail on both sides thereof to retain the device on the tail and to vary the distance between the staple, clamp or other connecting means and the device to accommodate tails of different sizes.
The forward looped portion of the second cord extends through adjustment means such as an eyelet or the like that can be moved along the second cord to control the point at which the two portions thereof diverge so that it is near the beginning of the tail of the animal. Preferably, the first cord is more flexible than the second cord of the tail harness to allow for easy elongation of the first cord when the animal lies down, is mounted or otherwise moves to stretch the first cord.
The provision of the connecting means on the two portions of the second cord beneath the animal""s tail helps to prevent the second cord portions from contacting the adjacent underside of the tail in front of the connecting means, thereby preventing irritation of the delicate underside of the tail. The second cord has sufficient stiffness to form a xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d configuration around the right and left side of the root of the tail with the connecting means to prevent contact with the crotch of the underside of the tail.
Appropriate portions of the girth harness and tail harness may be padded to protect the adjacent skin of the animal.